Off-Roading: Mighty Mopar Machines

Taking Mopar’s Off-road project vehicles into the dunes

Story and photos by Budd Stanley

It doesn’t need to be said that the Chrysler Corporation has seen better days. However, with the bankruptcy now behind it and with Fiat breathing newfound invigoration into the company, spirits are high at the pentastar, in particular with the Mopar boys. Lacking the attention they should have received in previous years, Fiat has realized the benefits that Mopar provides to the off-road enthusiast. For this, Fiat has let go of the leash and allowed their imaginations to run wild. During the famous Easter Jeep Safari event down in the Mecca of off-roading in Moab, Utah, the Mopar boys had all their goods on display for all to see, even letting us media types go for a rip in the sand dunes. Here’s a rundown of what we experienced.

Power Wagon
We saw a lot of spy photography of this concept, and we loved it from first sight. By looks alone, the Power Wagon seems intent to get it on with a Raptor. Driving the Power Wagon is a different story, as the the 383-horsepower Hemi V8 under the hood does a much better job than the Ford’s current powerplant. However, the shortened 120-inch wheelbase, 40-inch tires and high suspension means this beast is more an all-rounder when it comes to off-road duties and not quite a Raptor fighter. Mopar took a 2500 chassis, loaded in a Hemi, cut off the rear section and added a shortened 1500 frame for the use of coil springs. Dually rear flares were grafted into the bodywork. While extremely capable in the sand, the Power Wagon was more than happy to attack any type of terrain with near ridiculous ground clearance. With a combination of unique off-road engineering, styling and an open exhaust note that is gloriously violent, this proved to be one cool truck.

Nukizer 715
Based on the diesel-powered chassis of the Jeep J8 four-door military reconnaissance vehicle, the Nukizer 715 is an all-purpose truck that pays homage to the beloved military-only Kaiser M-715 truck. The Mopar team converted the vehicle into a pickup body style by adding an aftermarket AEV Brute pickup box with the addition of a centrally sunken spare tire mount. The wheelbase is stretched to 124 inches. But the focal point is a new front clip produced in carbon fibre that re-creates the characteristic forward slant of the M-715 truck.

Drivetrain upgrades include beefy Dynatrac Pro-Rock Dana 44 front and Dana 60 rear axles filled with 5.38 gears and ARB Airlocker differentials. Power is distributed by an Atlas II transfer case spinning custom driveshafts from Tom Woods. To keep the military look, tires are 38-inch BF Goodrich Mud Terrains mounted on Hutchinson bead-lock wheels. The powerplant remains a J8-specific 2.8-litre turbodiesel I4 that has been treated to a re-programmed controller for more boost.

Driving this beast was an impressive experience, as the four-cylinder turbodiesel worked magnificently to power the Nukizer through the deep sand, and was even grabbing some air alongside its counterpart, the Ram Runner. The Nukizer was such a hit with the crowd of media, we will have a full feature on the vehicle in the next issue of Trucks Plus.

ImMortal
The perfect example of what happens when Fiat allows the Mopar boys to run wild. Mopar didn’t just throw the kitchen sink at this JK, they tore down the house and completely rebuilt a new one. Mopar started with a standard Wrangler and stripped everything off. The highlight of the truck is its military-grade portal axle ends. Now part of the Mopar catalogue, these axle ends are engineered to mate to Mopar’s Pro Rock and Power Wagon performance axles and adapted to fit the suspension. Portal axle ends provide five inches of lift and contain a 1.5 gear reduction. Combined with the 4:1 transfer case, the result is a hardcore 100:1 crawl ratio. Powering that drivetrain is, yup you guessed it, the 5.7L Hemi, sending its 383 hp to 42-inch MTR tires. The ImMortal’s body has been well worked over with Mopar body armour, heat-reduction hood, half-doors and rag-top.

Driving the ImMortal out in the dunes, it was apparent that it was hankering for some big rocks to climb over. Not really its environment, but an impressive vehicle which shows what can be done when care and pocketbook are thrown to the wind.

XJ Stroker
Nearly all in-house performance specialty companies are a constantly trying to provide customers with the latest and greatest for the most up-to-date models. I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to see Mopar remembering that not everyone can go out and buy a brand new JK to start an off-road project vehicle. To inspire those who can’t afford Fox triple damper racing suspension for their weekend machine, Mopar brought out this older XJ full of available Mopar parts. Mopar put in a 4.7-litre I6 Stroker engine to boost available power, then outfitted it with a variety of parts designed to offer on-trail protection and increased visibility, including XJ tube doors, XJ front and rear bumpers and custom rock rails. Good to see they are looking out for the little guy.

Patriot Extreme
Don’t forget the Patriot. Yes, many laugh when they hear the Patriot going outdoors, but the fact of the matter is, in class, it’s the best off-roader out there. As such, Mopar wants to prove that the Patriot is still a Jeep, and showed off a slightly modified version that caught us off-guard. It may not growl, snort and power through the deep sand and up the steep inclines like the rest of the beasts out there, but it did get us to wherever we wanted to go, even if it wasn’t the most glorious route to take. The modest improvements include a two-inch suspension lift, 16-inch Moab wheels and BF Goodrich KM2 tires. To wrap it all up, the Mopar protects the shiny bits with tubular rock rails front, back and on the sides. The lack of power meant the little Patriot was a bit sluggish in the sand, but still proved a blast to drive.

Ram Runner
Now, the Power Wagon may not have been the Raptor fighter we thought it was going to be, so Mopar has left that task to this, the Ram Runner. To fight something that is so specialized, you need something even more specialized. And that’s exactly what the Ram Runner is. Inspired by Baja-style desert racing, this 4×4 is race ready with highly specialized competition suspension components consisting of 6061 T6 billet aluminum upper A-arms with rebuildable, high-angle ball joints that permit a massive 14 inches of wheel travel. High-angle CV joints are combined with plunging, splined axles made of 300 M tool steel and 1.00-inch diameter high-angle tie rods. All this hardware is matched to three-inch diameter internal bypass Fox shocks that provide front and rear motion control for the 35 x 12.5 x 17-inch DOT-approved General Grabber Competition tires which grab at the ground below. That’s when they are touching the ground; as you can see by the lead photo, the truck loves to get airborne. Members of the press were smacking this thing off sand dunes at upwards of 100 km/h, catching up to two metres of air. Do this to any other vehicle and you’ll have a hefty repair bill, but the Ram Runner was airborne all day long with only a sand-clogged air filter ending the chaos.

Inside, you will find a usual Ram interior with the addition of a roll cage and safety harnesses. Custom flared fibreglass fenders are bolted on front and rear, allowing for tremendous suspension articulation with zero interference.